Oil atomizer lubrication system

ABSTRACT

A lubricant delivery system for an oil consumption-type engine utilizes an atomizer to atomize lubricant obtained from a lubricant reservoir of the engine. The lubricant from the reservoir may be used to lubricate auxiliary components prior to being atomized and consumed in the combustion chamber of the engine. The atomizer can be a turbocharging device.

BACKGROUND

1. Field of the Invention

The present technology relates generally to internal combustion engines and more particularly, to the lubrication of internal combustion engines, lubrication of auxiliary devices in connection with or in support of internal combustion engines and to the disposal of lubricant used in internal combustion engines.

2. Related Art

Internal combustion engines have been used for many years. Many different types of engines have been designed, each having unique properties and requirements for their operation. Most, if not all engines require some type of lubrication system to prevent their self-destruction. Engines can be classified into two types: (1) lubricating oil recovering systems, and (2) lubricating oil loss systems.

Lubricating oil recovery systems have been widely used for their economical nature and their cleanliness in operation. Recovery type (1) systems use a reservoir of lubricant which is dispersed throughout the engine and or supported/auxiliary devices, and then returned to the reservoir either by pumping or by gravity. Only a small amount of lubricant is lost through the mechanical deficiencies of seals, valves and clearances, such lubricant being either leaked externally or consumed internally and combusted. Internal combustion engines of this type are characterized by large reservoirs mounted either internal to the engine or remote reservoirs. Designers of applications requiring an internal combustion engine must take into account these attributes when designing an application for a type (1) internal combustion engine.

Lubricating oil loss type (2) systems employ an oil consumption strategy which allows lubricant to be injected into the air stream prior to combustion and may also be pumped to critical lubrication points of auxiliary components. This lubricating oil is allowed to migrate into the combustion chamber where it provides lubrication to the piston cylinder and may be consumed by combustion. These engines are usually characterized by smaller size, lower weight, higher power output, and higher exhaust emissions when compared to type (1) engines. By virtue of the oil consumption, type (2) engines are less expensive to manufacture because they do not require a large oil reservoir to encompass the engine. However, they have typically been more expensive to operate.

Additionally, these type (2) engines account for a certain amount of “wasted” lubricant which is passed through the engine which fails to lubricate the critical points and is merely combusted and “wasted” in the exhaust (having provided no lubrication value). Further, some of this waste lubricant often fails to combust completely and becomes entrained in the exhaust fumes, which is then expelled in the exhaust and further contributes to increased exhaust emissions and increased operating costs associated with type (2) engines. The use of type (2) engines are often complicated when the use of auxiliary devices such as gearboxes, transmissions, superchargers, turbochargers, etc., which are employed for increased power output or the distribution of power. Since type (2) engines rarely have a reservoir of lubricant or lubricant pump of sufficient size to divert excess lubricant to these auxiliary devices, it is standard industry practice to incorporated separate auxiliary lubricant reservoirs and pumps for these devices. These separate reservoirs add complexity to the originally simple and small type (2) engine.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An oil delivery and dispersion method for use in an internal combustion engine is disclosed. Certain embodiments may provide an internal combustion engine having at least one intake port, at least one lubricant reservoir, at least one lubricant pump, and may have an auxiliary device for use with said internal combustion engine connected directly or indirectly. Said oil delivery system would be designed such that lubricant via a conduit or passageway could be delivered to a location upstream of an atomization device. This atomization device may include but is not limited to a turbocharger compressor wheel, supercharger compressor wheel, a static oil atomization device, or any device that changes the lubricant from a viscous fluid to an atomized state by any method thus allowing it to be conducted via an airstream into said engine desirable for combustion and emissions. This oil delivery system could have an orifice through which lubricant is delivered via a pump or any other system upstream of the intake of the atomization device such that lubricant can be ingested suitable for the atomization process.

Using this oil delivery and dispersion method lubricant that normally would be used for engine lubrication could be redirected to first lubricate an auxiliary device such as but not limited to a turbocharger or supercharger. Said lubricant after being thus expelled from auxiliary device then could be introduced via a conduit or passageway to the atomization device thus allowing the same said lubricant to lubricate said engine.

By providing a process by which the lubricant is more thoroughly atomized and evenly dispersed, it could allow the use of less lubricant for said engine thus reducing exhaust emissions.

The present invention allows the use of a common lubricant to all components, common pump to all components, and common lubricant storage for all components and devices involved. Ideally the lubricant system already implemented by an engine manufacturer could be redirected either in part or whole to lubricate any auxiliary devices if so equipped. The lubricant system already implemented by an engine manufacturer could be redirected either in part or whole to lubricate the engine only if it did not need to have auxiliary devices lubricated. Then via a conduit or passageway the lubricant could be introduced into the vacuum area of the air intake or any other configuration that would allow lubricant to be introduced into the atomization device either directly or indirectly, i.e. upstream from the lubricant atomization device, pumping, pitot tube via venturi vacuum principle, etc.

Alternatively, a separate lubricant source could be used to supplement, exclude, or replace any or all systems or group of lubrication systems if so equipped. From the atomization device the lubricant and intake air could then be introduced to the engine for lubrication and combustion via any conduit, passageway or other communication device capable of directing a lubricant dispersed in air. This invention could allow the use of smaller engines, lower cost components, and substantial cost savings to manufacturers. This invention could be implemented in the use of all known engine types and designs including but not limited to reciprocating piston engines, rotary/Wankel engines, two stroke engines, four stroke engines, and diesel engines.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Additional features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the detailed description which follows, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which together illustrate, by way of example, features of the invention; and, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a flow diagram depicting a lubricant flow strategy for a typical internal combustion engine equipped with an oil atomizer lubrication system;

FIG. 2 is a flow diagram depicting a lubricant flow strategy similar to that shown in FIG. 1, wherein the oil is first directed through an auxiliary component;

FIG. 3 is a schematic depicting a lubricant atomizer taking the form of a turbocharger;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the turbocharger of FIG. 3, taken along section A-A of FIG., this view showing the routing of lubricant through the bearing housing of the turbocharger and further being conducted into the air intake area for the lubricant atomizer (i.e. the turbocharger of FIG. 3);

FIG. 5 is a sectional view of the embodiment of FIG. 3 further utilizing a pitot tube for introduction of the lubricating oil into the turbocharger's air intake; and

FIG. 6 is a flow chart depicting a method of providing lubricant to a consumption-type engine.

Reference will now be made to the exemplary embodiments illustrated, and specific language will be used herein to describe the same. It will nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of the invention is thereby intended.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXAMPLE EMBODIMENT(S) Definitions

As used herein, the singular forms “a” and “the” can include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Thus, for example, reference to “a reservoir” can include one or more of such reservoirs.

As used herein, the term “substantially” refers to the complete or nearly complete extent or degree of an action, characteristic, property, state, structure, item, or result. For example, an object that is “substantially” enclosed would mean that the object is either completely enclosed or nearly completely enclosed. The exact allowable degree of deviation from absolute completeness may in some cases depend on the specific context. However, generally speaking the nearness of completion will be so as to have the same overall result as if absolute and total completion were obtained. The use of “substantially” is equally applicable when used in a negative connotation to refer to the complete or near complete lack of an action, characteristic, property, state, structure, item, or result. In other words, a composition that is “substantially free of” an ingredient or element may still actually contain such item as long as there is no measurable effect thereof.

As used herein, the term “about” is used to provide flexibility to a numerical range endpoint by providing that a given value may be “a little above” or “a little below” the endpoint.

As used herein, a plurality of items, structural elements, compositional elements, and/or materials may be presented in a common list for convenience. However, these lists should be construed as though each member of the list is individually identified as a separate and unique member. Thus, no individual member of such list should be construed as a de facto equivalent of any other member of the same list solely based on their presentation in a common group without indications to the contrary.

Numerical data may be expressed or presented herein in a range format. It is to be understood that such a range format is used merely for convenience and brevity and thus should be interpreted flexibly to include not only the numerical values explicitly recited as the limits of the range, but also to include all the individual numerical values or sub-ranges encompassed within that range as if each numerical value and sub-range is explicitly recited. As an illustration, a numerical range of “about 1 to about 5” should be interpreted to include not only the explicitly recited values of about 1 to about 5, but also include individual values and sub-ranges within the indicated range. Thus, included in this numerical range are individual values such as 2, 3, and 4 and sub-ranges such as from 1-3, from 2-4, and from 3-5, etc., as well as 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, individually.

This same principle applies to ranges reciting only one numerical value as a minimum or a maximum. Furthermore, such an interpretation should apply regardless of the breadth of the range or the characteristics being described.

Invention

As illustrated generally in FIGS. 1-2, in one embodiment of the invention a system 10 is provided that can deliver oil or other lubricant to an engine or motor 110. The system 10 can provide for the consistent delivery of lubricant from a reservoir 120 to motor 110 through an air intake 140 of an atomizer 200. The oil can be delivered to the air intake via conduit 122. The lubricant oil can be atomized with fuel in atomizer 200 to form a combustible mixture which is fed via conduit 130 into the combustion chamber of the engine 110.

In a typical consumption-type engine, oil is merely dripped into the combustion chamber, or a portion of lubricant is mixed with the fuel and injected into the chamber. These methods often require excess oil in order to ensure proper lubrication of all of the moving parts of the chamber, i.e. the pistons, piston wall, chamber wall, etc. The present invention overcomes these deficiencies by atomizing the lubricant into the air intake of the engine through the use of an atomizer. The atomization of the lubricant applies the lubricant to the all surfaces of the moving parts, thereby providing superior lubrication to the moving parts of the combustion chamber, i.e. the moving piston. Additionally, the atomized lubricant is more easily combusted and allows for more complete burning of the lubricant upon combustion, which allows for reduced emissions. Further, because atomized lubricant provides better lubrication performance, a reduced amount of lubricant can be utilized to achieve the same level of lubrication, which allows for the system 10 to be configured such that it provides less lubricant to the combustion chamber and allows for less oil consumption over time and therefore a reduced operating cost.

As illustrated in FIG. 2, the system for delivering oil to a lubrication loss-type engine 10 can also be configured to route some lubricant to an auxiliary component 150 prior to providing the lubricant to the air intake 140. In such a case, an additional lubricant conduit 152 can be provided to couple the auxiliary component to the air intake 140 of the atomizer 200. The auxiliary component may be any component of the engine, or it may also be an auxiliary component of the system of which the engine is a component (i.e., a transmission of an automobile). The illustration of an automobile is not meant to be limiting, but is recited merely to illustrate that a transmission may be an auxiliary component requiring lubrication, and could be lubricated by the oil conduits of the present invention.

With reference to FIGS. 3-4, FIG. 3 illustrates an external view of an exemplary atomizer 200 in accordance with the present invention. For purposes of illustration, the atomizer 200 is shown as a turbocharger, however it should be appreciated that many different types of atomizers may well be used in conjunction with the present invention. Also, any discussion with respect to the turbocharger may be similarly applied to other atomizers which may be used with an engine, including but not limited to superchargers, ram air systems, compressed air systems, etc.

The exemplary turbocharger shown can include a rotary turbine 234 powered by the engine's exhaust system (not shown, but readily understandable by one of ordinary skill in the art having possession of this disclosure). The engine exhaust can be fed into exhaust intake 222 which spins the exhaust rotary turbine vanes 234 (FIG. 4) and is expelled through the exhaust output 226. The exhaust rotary turbine blades 234 spin a driveshaft 230 which spins the air intake rotary vanes 232. The air intake rotary vanes 232 spin and atomize any liquids present within the air provided into the air intake 140. The atomized mixture can then provided to the engine for combustion via conduit 130. The lubricant can be provided to the bearing housing 150A of the atomizer 200 by lubricant conduit 122A, which can be connected to the lubricant reservoir of the engine (not shown, but readily understandable by one of ordinary skill in the art having possession of this disclosure). This lubricant reduces the heat and friction inside the bearing housing 150A by providing a steady stream of fresh lubricant from the lubricant reservoir, which in turn allows the atomizer 200 to spin faster under a given exhaust pressure and stream volume, which then allows for better atomization. From the bearing housing 150A, lubricant conduit 152A allows the oil to be fed via lubricant delivery port 154 into the air intake 140 whereupon the lubricant can be atomized and fed into the combustion chamber (not shown, but readily understandable by one of ordinary skill in the art having possession of this disclosure). It should be appreciated that the bearing housing of the atomizer is considered herein to be an auxiliary device and it should be further appreciated that multiple auxiliary devices may be provided and lubricated via similar routing procedures. That is, the lubricant can be routed through the auxiliary device and then provided to the air intake of the atomizer for atomization and subsequent combustion.

Depending on engine orientation and other factors, gravitational forces may be sufficient to provide the requisite amount of lubricant into the air intake 140 of the atomizer 200. However, it may be necessary, depending on the number of auxiliary devices receiving lubricant, and their positioning with respect to the reservoir, to provide lubricant pumps along the various lubricant conduits. One of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate the use of a pump to provide sufficient lubricant flows required to provide adequate lubricant for a given application.

Turning now to FIG. 5, an atomizer 300 is shown that is similar to the atomizer shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. In this embodiment, however, the oil delivery port is replaced with a pitot tube 154A. The pitot tube 154A can include an orifice in the tip through which lubricant can be routed. A pitot tube configuration arranged in this fashion operates by utilizing the Venturi principle, wherein the pressure within a jet stream is lower than the ambient pressure, thus creating a vacuum within the jet stream. By placing the tip of the pitot tube 154A in the jet stream of the air intake, a negative pressure gradient is experienced at the tip which allows the requisite amount of lubricant to be drawn into the air intake of the atomizer. This arrangement may be used to eliminate the need for any lubricant pumps depending on the flow requirements and orientation of the system.

With reference to FIG. 6, a flow chart depicting a method of providing lubricant to a consumption-type engine is provided. Typically, a lubricant reservoir is provided for all engines: however, for consumption type engines the lubricant reservoir will need to be replenished as the lubricant is consumed. In existing systems, this lubricant is merely dripped adjacent the sliding, rotating, and other friction generating components of an internal combustion engine, and into the combustion chamber and consumed by the engine as needed. As discussed above, merely dripping lubricant near these components does not adequately lubricate these components. By atomizing the oil into the air of the air intake, better lubricant coverage is obtained and less oil is required to provide superior lubrication.

One further disadvantage realized by many vehicular uses of consumption type engines is that each moving component has an independent lubrication system which adds to the complexity (and therefore cost) of the system. It would be of particular advantage to use the lubricant of the consumption-type engine to provide the lubrication to more, or all, of the auxiliary devices related to the function of the engine, i.e. transmissions, bearings, pivots, etc. By providing conduits and pumps as needed, a constant flow of fresh lubricant can be provided to these systems and then be consumed by the engine. This routing of oil to the auxiliary component and then to the air intake of an atomizer reduces and potentially eliminates the need for oil changes and reduces the maintenance requirements of many systems. As discussed above, many atomizers may be used including but not limited to turbochargers, superchargers, ram air, compressed air, etc. This disclosure is not intended to be limiting to any particular atomizer. However, most atomizers, for example a turbocharger, include bearings on which some kind of driveshaft is operated. The lubricant from the reservoir can be routed through the bearing housing, which ensures proper function and reduced wear on the turbocharger, the lubricant may be continuously provided via a conduit and then the lubricant can be discharged to the air intake of the turbocharger and atomized for lubrication of and consumption by the combustion chamber of the engine.

As discussed above, the use of a pitot tube and the utilization of the Venturi principle may provide adequate flow of lubricant through the various systems. However, pumps may be utilized where the suction on the pitot tube does not provide adequate flow to each auxiliary component.

While the forgoing examples are illustrative of the principles of the present invention in one or more particular applications, it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that numerous modifications in form, usage and details of implementation can be made without the exercise of inventive faculty, and without departing from the principles and concepts of the invention. Accordingly, it is not intended that the invention be limited, except as by the claims set forth below. 

I claim:
 1. A lubricant delivery system, comprising: an engine having a lubricant reservoir associated therewith; an atomizer having an air intake and an air output wherein the air output provides air to the engine; and a lubricant conduit in fluid communication between the lubricant reservoir of the engine and the air intake of the atomizer, the lubricant conduit thereby providing lubricant to the atomizer which at least partially atomizes the lubricant prior to delivery through the air intake.
 2. The system of claim 1, wherein the atomizer comprises a turbocharger.
 3. The system of claim 1, further comprising: a pitot tube connected to the lubricant conduit and configured to deliver lubricant to the air intake of the atomizer.
 4. The system of claim 1, further comprising: an auxiliary component wherein the lubricant conduit provides lubricant to the auxiliary component prior to introducing the lubricant to the air intake of the atomizer.
 5. The system of claim 4, wherein the auxiliary component is a bearing housing of the atomizer.
 6. The system of claim 5, wherein the auxiliary component is a turbocharger.
 7. The system of claim 6, further comprising: a pitot tube connected to the lubricant conduit and configured to deliver lubricant to the air intake of the atomizer.
 8. The system of claim 5, further comprising: a lubricant pump in communication with the lubricant conduit between the air intake of the atomizer and the lubricant reservoir.
 9. A method of providing lubrication to an engine and auxiliary components comprising: obtaining an engine having a lubricant reservoir containing an amount of lubricant therein; providing at least a portion of the lubricant from the reservoir to at least one auxiliary component; routing the at least a portion of the lubricant from the at least one auxiliary component to an air stream in an air intake of an atomizer; atomizing at least some of the at least a portion of the lubricant in the atomizer into the air stream using the atomizer; and feeding the atomized lubricant and air into a combustion area of the engine.
 10. The method of claim 9, wherein the at least one auxiliary component is a bearing housing of the atomizer.
 11. The method of claim 10, wherein the atomizer is a turbocharger.
 12. The method of claim 9, further comprising: positioning a pitot tube within the air stream of the air intake of the atomizer; and configuring the pitot tube to deliver the portion of lubricant to the air stream in the air intake of the atomizer.
 13. The method of claim 9, further comprising: providing a lubricant pump; and pumping the lubricant through the at least one auxiliary component and to the air intake.
 14. A lubricant delivery system, comprising: an engine having a lubricant reservoir associated therewith; a turbocharger having an air intake and an air output wherein the air output provides air to the engine, the turbocharger being operable to atomize lubricant passed therethrough; and a lubricant conduit in fluid communication between the lubricant reservoir of the engine and the air intake of the turbocharger, the lubricant conduit thereby providing lubricant to the turbocharger which at least partially atomizes the lubricant prior to delivery through the air intake.
 15. The system of claim 14, further comprising: a pitot tube connected to the lubricant conduit and configured to deliver lubricant to the air intake of the turbocharger.
 16. The system of claim 14, further comprising: an auxiliary component wherein the lubricant conduit provides lubricant to the auxiliary component prior to introducing the lubricant to the air intake of the turbocharger.
 17. The system of claim 16, wherein the auxiliary component is a bearing housing of the turbocharger. 